Until he returned home this weekend, Merrill Newman -- an American held in North Korea -- had no idea what a story he'd become.

During his detention, the 85-year-old veteran of the Korean War had no access to news. He has since seen the flood.

"Looking at the television and newspaper reports, I've seen a lot of speculation about why I was detained. I've given considerable thought to this and have come to the conclusion that I just didn't understand that, for the North Korean regime, the Korean War isn't over and that even innocent remarks about the war can cause big problems if you are a foreigner," he said in a statement Monday.

Newman traveled in October as a tourist to North Korea on a 10-day organized tour. Authorities nabbed him just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang.

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Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – A stern looking North Korean guard by the Chinese border customs office. This image was deleted by North Korean officials.

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Deleting the offensive photos – Writer Johan Nylander and his guide, Ko Chang Ho, watch as a North Korean guard deletes 90 photos deemed unacceptable. Nylander was able to recover the photos with the help of an IT specialist -- the images that follow are an edited selection.

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Hello, Dear Leader – This propaganda monument of "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il by a countryside road, not far from the border to China, was deleted by authorities. North Korea required images of leaders be full body shots.

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Waiting for a train – People standing by the train track, while a guard is monitoring the bike race.

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Watching the race – In the city of Rason, people are leaning out of windows to get a glimpse of the Western cyclists.

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Pedestrian peasants – A woman and a man walking by the side of the road lined with cornfields.

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Village life – Villagers waving by the race path.

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Heavy security – Guards and custom officials by the border to China.

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Secret volleyball court? – By the border checkpoint next to the Tumen River, North Korean customs officials can play volleyball. Officials prohibited any photos of North Korean military bases.

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Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – Peasants and villagers standing by the road to look at the Western cyclists

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Keeping watch – Guard keeping an eye on the bikers next to a small village.

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Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – Kids playing outside village houses.

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Waiting for the cyclists – Spectators waiting for the bikers to reach the finish line. In the background the "Great" and "Dear Leaders" Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il.

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Standing on bikes to see cyclists – Huge crowds -- some of whom standing on their own bikes -- as they await cyclists by the race finish line in Rason.

Water checkpoint – Guides from the local tourist bureau handing out water bottles to bikers, monitored by a guard in the background.

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Writer and his minder – Journalist Johan Nylander and his North Korean guide, Ko Chang Ho. EDITOR'S NOTE: This image was not among those deleted by North Korean officials.

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EXPAND GALLERY

"I innocently asked my North Korean guides whether some of those who fought in the war in the Mount Kuwol area might still be alive, and expressed an interest in possibly meeting them if they were. The North Koreans seem to have misinterpreted my curiosity as something more sinister," he wrote.

"It is now clear to me the North Koreans still feel much more anger about the war than I realized. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have been more sensitive to that."

For weeks, the North Korean government offered no explanation as to why they were holding Newman.

An explanation finally came last month, when state media published and broadcast what they described as the Korean War veteran's "apology." The word was written atop the first of four handwritten pages detailing his alleged indiscretions.

In the note dated November 9, Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol unit, part of the "intelligence bureau" fighting against Pyongyang during the Korean War. He detailed how he commanded troops to collect "information" and wage deadly attacks.

"After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people," Newman said, according to that report.

In his statement, Newman distanced himself from those comments.

"Anyone who has read the text of it or who has seen the video of me reading it knows that the words were not mine and were not delivered voluntarily. Anyone who knows me knows that I could not have done the things they had me 'confess' to," he wrote.

Newman said he was treated well during his detention.

His release coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to South Korea, where he laid a wreath in honor of those who died in the war that pitted North against South.

A senior administration official said that Newman's release was the result of direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang. The official said the North Koreans had told the Obama administration in a telephone call that they were releasing Newman; no explanation was offered.

Newman thanked Biden, the U.S. State Department, the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang and family and friends in his statement.

He also asked that people not forget Kenneth Bae, another American being held in North Korea. Bae was arrested in 2012 and sentenced in May to 15 years for so-called hostile acts and attempts to topple the government.

"I know there is a lot of interest in this, and I'll do my best to answer as many questions as I can," wrote Newman.

"For now, let me finish by saying again how great it is to be back home, safe, and with my loved ones."